AUSTIN, Texas – The State of Texas Comptroller’s Office recently awarded school districts and other governmental organizations across the state for their efforts to meet a high standard of financial transparency online. The State of Texas Comptroller, Susan Combs, recently announced the districts that were recognized for having the highest standards of achieving financial transparency online with the Gold Leadership Circle Award, the Silver Leadership Circle Award or the Bronze Leadership Circle Award.
AUSTIN, Texas – The State of Texas Comptroller’s Office recently awarded school districts and other governmental organizations across the state for their efforts to meet a high standard of financial transparency online. The State of Texas Comptroller, Susan Combs, recently announced the districts that were recognized for having the highest standards of achieving financial transparency online with the Gold Leadership Circle Award, the Silver Leadership Circle Award or the Bronze Leadership Circle Award.
Forney ISD was awarded the Gold Leadership Circle Award for having the highest standard of financial transparency online per the State of Texas Comptroller’s evaluation.
“By means of the Board’s directive, the District has worked very hard to ensure that we have been as transparent as possible regarding the District’s finances,” said Lucas Janda, the Forney ISD Chief Financial Officer for the District. “To receive the Gold Leadership Circle Award from the State Comptroller is validation that we are working in the right direction to make sure that the parents, community and tax payers in Forney have easy access to the District’s financial information.”
The Leadership Circle Award is given to organizations that are financially transparent and provide information in a way that is easy to use and access. There are two levels of criteria to earn a Leadership Circle Award, a major section and a minor section.
The major criteria section involves a web presence that includes easy access to information such as an official adopted budget, an annual financial report or comprehensive financial report, a check register and a financial transparent webpage.
The minor criteria for the Leadership Circle Award includes a web presence that includes data such as local government contact information, elected officials contact information, public information request contacts and instructions, easy access to financial documents in three clicks or less, budgets for the three most recent financial years, annual financial reports for the three most recently completed reports, check registers for the three most recent fiscal years, searchable check registers, descriptive check registers, visual representation of financial data, current tax rates for local option taxes and a raw format budget.
The District earned a total of 18 points out of a possible 20 points to earn the Gold Leadership Circle Award.
To earn a Gold Leadership Circle Award, a school district must earn a minimum total of 16 out of 20 points. Silver Leadership Circle Award winners must earn a minimum total of 12 points and Bronze Circle Award Winners must earn a minimum total of eight points.
For more information about the Forney Independent School District, contact Larry Coker, Director of Communications at larry.coker@forneyisd.net or by phone at 972-564-4055.
Forney ISD's budget and financial information can be viewed by clicking HERE. This will direct you to the FISD website's Business and Finance page.
